The Boy Behind The Wall, Maximillian Jones
The Boy Behind The Wall, Maximillian Jones
List: $18.99 | Sale: $13.29
Club: $9.49

The Boy Behind The Wall
a page-turning thriller set on either side of the Berlin Wall

Author: Maximillian Jones

Narrator: Chase Brown, Sam Peter Jackson

Unabridged: 6 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/14/2021


Synopsis

A riveting story of adventure, danger and friendship for readers 11+, perfect for fans of Alex Rider and CHERUB.

What would you risk for a friend you've never met . . . ?

In 1960s Berlin the Wall is everywhere. It cuts through streets, parks, even houses. Teenagers Harry and Jakob live either side of the divide.

In West Berlin, American Harry witnesses the brutal shooting of a boy trying to escape over the Wall into the West, and decides to emulate his comic book heroes and help those in the East however he can.

On the other side in East Berlin, Jakob is the adopted son of a high up Stasi officer, feeling suffocated by the rules of a strictly regimented society and desperate to find his real family.

When Jakob finds a message that Harry has sent over the Wall, he grasps the opportunity. The boys begin a secret friendship, evading the authorities using lemon juice as invisible ink to share hidden messages.

They soon realise that a bold plot to carve a tunnel under the wall is the only way out for Jakob – and it's time to put their friendship to the test. Just how much are they prepared to risk for each other – and for freedom?

'A real page turner which will keep you reading long after you should have turned out the light!' Independent Book Reviews – Fiona Sharp

'It has everything a school Library Manager could possibly hope for in a book to recommend to their students. It gives the reader historical knowledge. It is an adventure. It is thrilling. The pacing is perfect. There is no bad language' Dudley School Librarian

About Maximillian Jones

Maximillian Jones is a creative collaboration - a talented team of writers who enjoy writing using an approach echoing the TV script-writing model.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Marieke on July 01, 2021

This MG tells the story of two boys, Harry, an American thirteen-year-old who just moved to West Berlin, and Jacob, a fourteen-year-old living with his adoptive parents in East Berlin after his father was sent to prison and died eventually, and his mom and sister fled to the west. When Jacob finds a......more

Goodreads review by Kira on May 31, 2023

Nothing says history like the cold war. A war of words - and in this case the war involving a large ridiculous wall. Learning about this in history class could not prepare me for this book. Seeing statistics and learning conditions will never compare to being inside the mind of a 14 year old boy, in......more

Goodreads review by Wendy on June 20, 2022

Told from the point of view of two boys in 1960s Berlin - Jakob in East Berlin, the adopted son of a Stasi official and whose real parents were enemies of the state. Harry is in West Berlin and the son of an American diplomat whose demeanour is becoming cold and distant. A lucky contact starts a fri......more

Goodreads review by whatbooknext on March 20, 2022

Moving to West Berlin with his parents was going to be an adventure. A least that's what Harry thought it would be. Dad's new job as an American Diplomat in the 'American quarter' on the West side of the Berlin Wall would be full of exploring trips together as they embraced their new city and home. S......more

Goodreads review by Mandy on November 15, 2021

August 2021: I'm sitting beside the pool on a long-awaited summer holiday and I cannot lie, it's bliss. I feel so fortunate to finally be away from gloomy, cold England where summer 2021 never seemed to arrive. I've decided that historical fiction is my pick of holiday genre for the week and The Boy......more